10 Unbelievable Emmy Wins That Shocked Television

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For a storyteller, nothing is better than a good twist. It should come as no surprise, then, that the Emmys ceremony has featured plenty of shocking wins, the type of unpredictable moments that transform business as usual into must-see TV. This year’s ceremony is guaranteed to be no different. Who will win the stacked best-drama actress categories? And which show will reign now that Game of Thrones is ineligible? As Emmys approach (hosted by Stephen Colbert, airing on Sept. 17), let’s take a look back at some of the most surprising wins in the show’s 69-year history.

Shirley Dinsdale

The first-ever Emmys statuette was handed to 20-year-old Shirley Dinsdale, a ventriloquist who created the Judy Splinters show. Judy, as you might guess, was the name of the puppet she voiced. Dinsdale won in the Most Outstanding-Personality category, but almost missed the ceremony because no one knew or cared about this mysterious new awards show.

From CBS/Getty Images.

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Jack Benny

Though it’s not surprising that the classic comedian scooped up an Emmy, it’s weird that his 1958 win was in this intensely specific category: Best Continuing Performance in a Series by a Comedian, Singer, Host, Dancer, M.C., Announcer, Narrator, Panelist, or any Person who Essentially Plays Himself.

By Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage.

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Richard Mulligan

No one would begrudge Empty Nest star Richard Mulligan for picking up a Lead Actor in a Comedy statuette, but it was a bit of shock when he won in 1989—beating out John Goodman (Roseanne), Michael J. Fox (Family Ties), Ted Danson (Cheers), and Fred Savage (The Wonder Years).

By Frank Trapper/Corbis/Getty Images.

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David E. Kelley

The 1999 Emmys belonged to him. Not only did his show The Practice beat out heavyweights like NYPD Blue and The Sopranos in the best-drama category, but his other series, Ally McBeal, won best comedy, beating out Friends,Sex and the City, and Frasier. How’s that for a surprising sweep?

By Vince Bucci/Getty Images.

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Katherine Heigl

Just a year before Heigl plucked herself out of an Emmys race, she was the newcomer with no shot in the best-supporting-actress-in-a-drama category. In 2007, she was up against more seasoned Grey’s Anatomy co-stars, as well as Lorraine Bracco and Aida Turturro from The Sopranos. But somehow, Heigl still won. “My own mother told me I don’t have a shot in hell of winning tonight,” she joked at the top of her breathless, on-the-fly speech.

By Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic.

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Jim Parsons

It’s not shocking that the star of the most inexplicably popular network sitcom would win an Emmy. It’s just shocking that Jim Parsons won two years in a row, shutting out a murderers’ row of stars in 2011 that included Louis C.K., Alec Baldwin, and Matt LeBlanc. He also beat out Steve Carell, who seemed like the obvious winner in 2011, as it was his final year on the fan-favorite series The Office. Alas, Carell lost thanks to a nerd named Sheldon, missing out on his last chance to pick up an award for playing lovable fool Michael Scott.

By Michael Tran/FilmMagic.

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Merritt Wever

In 2013, Wever picked up a statuette for best supporting actress in a comedy for her role on Nurse Jackie. Everyone was floored by the win—and so was she, which led to Wever delivering one of the best acceptance speeches of all time: “Thank you so much. I gotta go. Bye.”

By Monty Brinton/CBS/Getty Images.

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Jeff Daniels

That year also had a surprise for TV fans in the best-leading-actor-in-a-drama category. Though everyone thought Kevin Spacey (House of Cards) would pick up the trophy, fending off stiff competition from Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Jon Hamm (Mad Men), it was Jeff Daniels (for the so-so HBO drama The Newsroom) who ended up besting them all. Daniels himself was surprised, starting his speech off with, “Well, crap.”

By Jason Merritt/Getty Images.

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Viola Davis

It’s not surprising for Viola Davis to win an award, because Viola Davis should win all the awards. But it is generally shocking that up until 2015, no women of color had ever won the leading-actress-in-a-drama category. But Davis’s stirring performance in How to Get Away with Murder made her a lock for the statuette, breaking a long and terrible tradition.

From Image Group LA/ABC/Getty Images.

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Tatiana Maslany

Tatiana Maslany had long perfected her “it’s an honor to be nominated” face, despite the fact that she deserves her weight in Emmys gold due to her multifaceted performances on Orphan Black. In 2016, it seemed likely that Davis would be the one gliding to the podium again—but lo and behold, it turned out that Maslany had finally won the Academy’s favor. And who can be mad at that?